Minnesota DFL lawmakers stage 'sit in', after motion to bring gun control bill for a vote fails
A motion to bring the Minnesota Senate's gun control bill to the House floor for a vote was defeated Thursday night in a tie vote 67-67.
Lawmakers fell on party lines after a debate on the House floor lasted about 6 hours. Some DFL lawmakers announced they plan to 'sit in' inside the House chambers to protest and demand the bill be brought forward for a vote.
"Whether we gavel back in on Saturday or this body hides out until Sunday, we will be here undeterred," said Liish Kozlowski, a DFL representative from Duluth.
Earlier this month, the bill passed the Minnesota Senate by one vote, on party lines, with DFL Senators in favor. It includes a ban on semiautomatic rifles and high-capacity magazines. It's an effort backed by some families from Annunciation Catholic School.
Just last summer two students were killed and dozens of others injured during a shooting at back to school mass.
Supporters of the bill accuse House Speaker Lisa Demuth of holding it up. But Thursday, she said gun control legislation failed to gain enough support in the divided House earlier this session in committee.
"Those bills did not continue going through the committee process because they fell on a party line in the committees what has gone through, which is part of the package is the anonymous threat reporting, which is important to families across the state, and the mental health support," Demuth said.
Earlier this week, a spokesperson for the GOP said Speaker Demuth would not prevent a floor vote if the bill completed the House Committee process.